The Message of the Forest
Hermione gulped at the sight of him, Ron stared stonily back, almost
defiant. Harry didn't move, except to shift so that Hermione was more
protected.
"They escaped. No one was unmasked. Your efforts, however valiant-" he spat out the word as though it had a bad taste to it.
"They what?" said Ron.
"They were reawaken by their colleagues! They escaped! None of the Death Eaters were apprehended, however, the Dark Mark is over the forest and the teachers are investigating."
Snape rarely sounded this informative without soon after telling them that they had detention or taking fifty points from Gryffindor. He didn't seem upset with them at all; in fact, he seemed to be trying to help them.
"Someone was killed, then?" asked Hermione, trying to sit up. Ron put a hand on her shoulder.
"They are not sure, Miss Granger. There is a message written beside the Mark," said Snape, trailing off.
"I saw that!" said Harry suddenly. "I saw it, but it was too bright to read. What's it say, anyway?"
Ron had got up and looked out the window. He gasped and tugged Harry's sleeve. Hermione tried to twist in the bed to see out the window to the forest, but couldn't. Harry's reaction was the same as Ron's.
"What is it?" asked Hermione frantically.
"It says - it says 'your students will die here', Hermione," said Harry as calmly as he could, though his voice shook slightly.
Snape had left. Hermione had sunk back down in shock. Harry and Ron just stared out the window, looking at the message. It was written in the same evil green writing as the Mark, and there were teachers looking around the pitch and the edge of the forest. A few had gone in, but not far.
"What do we do?" said Hermione quietly.
Harry turned to Hermione. She looked very scared. Ron couldn't move, he simply looked at the Mark and the horrible message. The sun was sinking, and the grisly neon colour contrasted in an ugly way against the orange sky.
"I don't know," said Harry, in a whisper.
Harry sat next to her bed and tried to think. Everything seemed so muddled in his head that he felt as though his thoughts were swimming in murky water. Ron finally moved away from the window and took Hermione's hand.
"I'm going in there," he said.
"What?" said Harry and Hermione at the same time.
"I have to," said Ron quietly. "Harry, you too."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"We're fighters now. Order of the Phoenix. We have to fight," mumbled Ron.
Harry stared at him. He was pale and he pressed his lips together. Hermione looked at her feet and seemed to be trying not to cry.
"W-What's the Order of the Phoenix?" asked Hermione in a quaking voice.
"We'll explain later," said Harry.
"I'm going in there," said Ron again.
"Ron, you can't!" said Hermione. "It's so dangerous, and against Death Eaters.don't go."
"I'm going to," said Ron.
"Then I will, too," said Harry seriously.
"You can't go! Please, don't go!" said Hermione, panicking.
"Hermione, we're going," said Ron.
"No! If something happened - if you got hurt or - or - well, I couldn't bear it! Please, please let the teachers handle it!" Hermione grabbed Harry's right arm and Ron's left. She held as tight as she could, but she loosed her grip after a moment, too weak to continue.
"It's okay," said Harry soothingly. "We'll be fine."
"No!" she shrieked. Madam Pomfrey rushed in.
"Miss Granger, are you all right?" she asked urgently.
Hermione didn't respond, just looked at Madam Pomfrey with tears in her eyes. Madam Pomfrey decided that the boys had worn out their welcomes.
"OUT! This young lady is ill!" she bustled them away, out of the wing, with Hermione positively weeping behind her.
"They escaped. No one was unmasked. Your efforts, however valiant-" he spat out the word as though it had a bad taste to it.
"They what?" said Ron.
"They were reawaken by their colleagues! They escaped! None of the Death Eaters were apprehended, however, the Dark Mark is over the forest and the teachers are investigating."
Snape rarely sounded this informative without soon after telling them that they had detention or taking fifty points from Gryffindor. He didn't seem upset with them at all; in fact, he seemed to be trying to help them.
"Someone was killed, then?" asked Hermione, trying to sit up. Ron put a hand on her shoulder.
"They are not sure, Miss Granger. There is a message written beside the Mark," said Snape, trailing off.
"I saw that!" said Harry suddenly. "I saw it, but it was too bright to read. What's it say, anyway?"
Ron had got up and looked out the window. He gasped and tugged Harry's sleeve. Hermione tried to twist in the bed to see out the window to the forest, but couldn't. Harry's reaction was the same as Ron's.
"What is it?" asked Hermione frantically.
"It says - it says 'your students will die here', Hermione," said Harry as calmly as he could, though his voice shook slightly.
Snape had left. Hermione had sunk back down in shock. Harry and Ron just stared out the window, looking at the message. It was written in the same evil green writing as the Mark, and there were teachers looking around the pitch and the edge of the forest. A few had gone in, but not far.
"What do we do?" said Hermione quietly.
Harry turned to Hermione. She looked very scared. Ron couldn't move, he simply looked at the Mark and the horrible message. The sun was sinking, and the grisly neon colour contrasted in an ugly way against the orange sky.
"I don't know," said Harry, in a whisper.
Harry sat next to her bed and tried to think. Everything seemed so muddled in his head that he felt as though his thoughts were swimming in murky water. Ron finally moved away from the window and took Hermione's hand.
"I'm going in there," he said.
"What?" said Harry and Hermione at the same time.
"I have to," said Ron quietly. "Harry, you too."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"We're fighters now. Order of the Phoenix. We have to fight," mumbled Ron.
Harry stared at him. He was pale and he pressed his lips together. Hermione looked at her feet and seemed to be trying not to cry.
"W-What's the Order of the Phoenix?" asked Hermione in a quaking voice.
"We'll explain later," said Harry.
"I'm going in there," said Ron again.
"Ron, you can't!" said Hermione. "It's so dangerous, and against Death Eaters.don't go."
"I'm going to," said Ron.
"Then I will, too," said Harry seriously.
"You can't go! Please, don't go!" said Hermione, panicking.
"Hermione, we're going," said Ron.
"No! If something happened - if you got hurt or - or - well, I couldn't bear it! Please, please let the teachers handle it!" Hermione grabbed Harry's right arm and Ron's left. She held as tight as she could, but she loosed her grip after a moment, too weak to continue.
"It's okay," said Harry soothingly. "We'll be fine."
"No!" she shrieked. Madam Pomfrey rushed in.
"Miss Granger, are you all right?" she asked urgently.
Hermione didn't respond, just looked at Madam Pomfrey with tears in her eyes. Madam Pomfrey decided that the boys had worn out their welcomes.
"OUT! This young lady is ill!" she bustled them away, out of the wing, with Hermione positively weeping behind her.